This classic account shows how the fall of Constantinople in May 1453, after a siege of several weeks, came as a bitter shock to Western Christendom. The city's plight had been neglected, and negligible help was sent in this crisis. To the Turks, victory not only brought a new imperial capital, but guaranteed that their empire would last. To the Greeks, the conquest meant the end of the civilisation of Byzantium, and led to the exodus of scholars stimulating the tremendous expansion of Greek studies in the European ...
Read More
This classic account shows how the fall of Constantinople in May 1453, after a siege of several weeks, came as a bitter shock to Western Christendom. The city's plight had been neglected, and negligible help was sent in this crisis. To the Turks, victory not only brought a new imperial capital, but guaranteed that their empire would last. To the Greeks, the conquest meant the end of the civilisation of Byzantium, and led to the exodus of scholars stimulating the tremendous expansion of Greek studies in the European Renaissance.
Read Less
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Good. 0521398320. Ex-Library copy with usual identifiers. Smudging (minor stains) to covers, mostly shelf wear. Yellowing to pages. No markings on text pages or major defects.; Canto; B&W Illustrations; 256 pages.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
May have some shelf-wear due to normal use. Your purchase funds free job training and education in the greater Seattle area. Thank you for supporting Goodwill's nonprofit mission!
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Good. 0521398320. Yellowing to pages. Foxing (heavy) throughout the book. No writing on text pages or major defects. Otherwise in good condition.; Canto; 5.5 X 1 X 8.75 inches; 270 pages.
A beautiful copy of the book arrived quickly in perfect condition. Thanks.
DLRS
Mar 28, 2012
Magnetic Constantinople
Mehmed the Conqueror, the son of Murad II, sacked Constaninople, now Istanbul, on May 29, 1453 and brought to an end the Byzantine empire. He was only 21 and changed the course of world history.
The Crusades, Byzantium and the Ottoman empre have always aroused the interest and curiosity of students of history but for most people, the very names conjure up visions of a turbulent and glorious age.
This is a masterly account of the fall of Constantinople and the rise of the Ottoman empire.
To hold the attention of the reader, who is not a history student or specialist in the field, a historian needs to be precise and eloquent. Too many historians lose their readers when they digress from the central theme. Runciman knows his subject and knows how to tell a story and this story is fact not fiction.
With Turkey once again in the news almost on a daily basis, and ever more tourists and travellers visiting Istanbul, those wishing to know more about the background of this great city and a resurgent country should find this book an exciting read, something one cannot say about all history books, no matter how educative and informative they may be.
